I’m always warning parents about the amount of sugar lurking in their kids’ favorite breakfast cereals. Even brands that market themselves as whole-grain-filled, healthy choices rank up there with candy. Our friends at Environmental Working Group (EWG) are weighing in with some shocking facts. Are you serving your kids dessert for breakfast?

More Sugar Than Cookies?
According to the 23-page report released today, many popular children’s cereals have sugar contents similar to Twinkies and Chips Ahoy cookies. Some brands contain more than 50- percent added sugar by weight! While the voluntary federal recommendations are no more than 26-percent, cereals in the top 10 list of worst offenders (including Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops and Captain Crunch) range from 41.4 to 55.6-percent.

Excessive sugar intake can lead to performance problems during the school day. And all those extra calories are doing nothing to help the ever-increasing obesity epidemic and rise of type 2 diabetes.

Tips for Parents
As parents, we all struggle to find healthy foods that our kids like — heck, that they’ll tolerate! The EWG report also highlights cereals that do meet federal recommendations like Quaker Oatmeal Cinnamon Squares and Honey Bunches of Oats with Vanilla Bunches.

There’s more you can do….

• Read labels and check ingredient lists carefully.
• Try brands like Nature’s Path and Cascadian Farms who make similar flavors of cereal with less sugar.
• Rotate in other breakfast options like oatmeal, smoothies and homemade muffins.